Tales of the CWF: Soul Bound Ashan
by Ari Rockefeller
Summary: When a strange new wizard appears, Ash and Gohan feel they can destroy him singlehandedly. But the wizard's curse brings the stepbrothers closer together than they'd prefer...(Chapter 3 up! AT LONG LAST! :P)
1. Bring it!

Soul Bound Ashan

Yet another project is in the works, started by yours truly, Ari Rockefeller.  It's another CWF storyline story, so if you're familiar with the characters and plot alterations, you'll enjoy this a lot.

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters do not belong to me.

            Not only does he not know where in Dominaria he was, but he didn't have a clue how he got there, either.

            He passed his hand over his head.  His head, completely bald save for several thick, ropelike strands fastened to his scalp.  The skin on his face was horribly altered and looked like his face was horribly burned at one point.  What once was a thick, blond goatee were now a few bushes of black hair around the corners of his lips and in the middle of his chin, right below his bottom lip.

            Everything about him had changed since his "friends" abandoned him and left him to be tortured, corrupted, mutated....  Among other things was the obvious boost in power.  He was much larger, more muscular, and commanded much more wicked magic than he ever did.  His arms – and hands, especially – were more muscular, longer, and were adorned with dark blue forearm bands.  Further experimentations on his body, including the painful installation of a device called an artificial spine, led to two shorter forearms jutting out of his elbow pits, topped with smaller hands with two fingers and a thumb each.  Armor in several shades of blue trimmed with gold adorned his body.  Red eyes burned like coals where blue eyes once sparkled like diamonds.  All was controlled by a mind that retained every memory of what happened to him from before and after his alterations.

            Despite being in the middle of a desolate plain dotted with an occasional tree, he found a small river not too far away from where he entered this plane.  There wasn't very much to this plane, he could tell.  While Dominaria was rich with mana, this area was comparatively desolate.  Not enough to conjure up some of his more advanced, more dangerous spells, but enough to dispatch any opposition with no trouble.  He slowly walked up to the river, and looked at his reflection.  There was nothing he did not see that did not horrify him.

            Altered by Phyrexian science, corrupted by black mana, and twisted with rage, Ertai still looked at his reflection and saw only glory.

            Gerrard and the _Weatherlight _were incognito; the Phyrexian war machines were nowhere to be seen.  For all intents and purposes, Ertai was alone on this plane save for some wildlife.  "Perhaps I should test the limits of this place," he said to himself.  He raised his arms to the sky.  His four hands clenched into fists and reopened, and began to draw mana.  After a bit of coaxing, it became to come to him in greater quantities.

* * * * *

            Nearly fifty miles away, a young Japanese boy of about 12 years of age suddenly froze in place.  His senses were highly refined to sense even the slightest disturbance in the Earth, usually set off by large flocculation of one's ki or other life energy.  When a sudden burst of energy sprang up, it felt like someone was letting the air out of a balloon.

            The boy's step-brother, also 12 years old but of American heritage, didn't pick up on the disturbance right away because his mind was elsewhere.  School had just let out, and now they were looking to do what they were hoping to do after school that day (they'd have to go home and get changed first; their all-black school uniforms were most uncomfortable in the heat).  Thoughts of what they were doing today were jarred and dispersed when he bumped into his brother.  He shouted out a quick "Dude!" before realizing he was looking afar.

            "Yo, Gohan," he asked, picking up his hat with one hand and pushing a green, fingerless-gloved hand through his spiky, unruly black hair, "hello?  Gohan, what's up?"

            "Do you feel that, Ash?" Gohan answered, never looking at his brother.  "It's something big...and powerful..."

            Ash paused, then went silent.  He cleared his head and relaxed.  Suddenly, the huge rush of energy Gohan felt Ash suddenly picked up on as well. He shrugged.  "It could be just dad," he answered, "or Vegeta, or someone like that.  It's no big deal...right?"

            "You haven't been hanging out with us as long as I have, little bro."  Gohan turned to his brother.  "Vegeta may not be a 'good' guy like dad is, but at least is no way _near _this malicious.  Whoever this guy is..." Gohan looked off in that same direction.  "...he's gonna be a lot of trouble."

            Ash was silent for a moment before speaking up again.  "So what do you think it is?  You think we can take...whatever the hell that is?  Or...should we get dad out here?"

            "Nah, we should be fine."  Gohan reached into the pocket of his school uniform pants, and flashed his cell phone at Ash.  "Besides, if things get out of hand, we can always give him a call."  Slowly, he used his ki to elevate himself about 25 feet above the ground.  "So what're we waiting for?  Let's go!"  His ki ignited in a white fire around him, and he took off in the direction of the disturbance.  Ash manifested his ki in the same matter, and took off like a bullet, catching up with his brother. 

* * * * *

            The disturbance grew stronger and more frightening as they drew closer, but they did not stop for anything.  As strong as the Son brothers were, a fifty-mile flight like the one they were on took little more than a minute or two.

            A fine mist began to cover the landscape.  The boys looked down and took notice, but something didn't feel right.  The mist varied in thickness at points; sometimes it appeared to be a fog so thick they couldn't see the ground, while at times almost disappeared.  They still couldn't help but feel like something was terribly wrong.

            Something caught Gohan's eye.  He stopped on a dime in mid air, and Ash skidded forward a few feet, not prepared for his older brother's sudden stop.  "There's someone down there..." Gohan said.

            Ash concentrated hard.  "A few people down there.  At least I...think they're people."  They continued to stare at the fog for a few more moments until a large lightning bolt shot out from the mist, aimed at the brothers.  "Look out!"  The brothers dashed to the side in opposite directions, just barely avoiding the attack.

They regrouped, Ash to the left and Gohan to the right, glancing at each other.  With a nod, they whipped their respective dominant hand across their bodies (Ash is left handed), and stretched out the other towards the other, fingers extended.  Their hands were a few inches away from one another, enough to let their energy flow freely between the two.  Their other hand shot straight out, and with a loud yell, Ash and Gohan generated a great gust of wind that cleared the area of the strange mist (and of any leaves on trees).

            "Come on!" a voice shouted.  "Come down here and face me!  Show yourselves!"

            Ash and Gohan drifted rapidly to the ground, instinctively into offensive stances.  There was mutual shock between both parties.  Ertai was at a loss for words – something strangely uncharacteristic about him – at the presence of two _children _who apparently want a piece of him.  Gohan had fought some pretty creepy looking nemeses in his short lifetime, but this guy took deranged to a new level.  This foe, which at least _looked _human, Gohan could only assume that he was much, much more once upon a time; he looks like the disgraced remains of something that used to be great.

            The bottom line is that neither knew what to think about the other.

            "What the hell is that thing?" Ash asked.

            "I should ask you the same thing," the stranger said.  "Here I am, trying to lay claim to this plane, and you little brats have to butt in!  Do you _want _me to end your miserable little lives?"

            "Just keep it up, freak," Gohan spat, "and it'll be you who winds up dead."

            "Who are you anyway?" Ash asked demandingly.

            "Introductions would be in order, wouldn't they?" the stranger answered.  "Well, since you asked, allow me to introduce myself.  I am Ertai, master wizard.  No one who has seen the limits of my power has ever lived to tell about it."

            "I'll bet," Gohan said, smack with sarcasm.  "My name is Gohan, and I'm one of the strongest warriors in the entire world."

            Ash brandished his fist as Ertai.  "And I'm Ash Ketchum," he started, "the greatest Pokémon master in the world!"

            Both hands on Ertai's left arm went up to his head – one to rub his chin, the other to scratch his head.  "What's a Pokémon?" he thought aloud.

            Ash facevaulted.

            "Get over it, Ash," Gohan said, "we need to take this guy out before he starts anything – "

            "Oh, you mean like this?"  Ertai suddenly spun around, his back to the boys, and raised his four hands high.  A weird light radiated from them, spewing forth and taking the shape of a large warthog about two stories tall.  "And that's just me getting warmed up," Ertai said with a smirk.  He spun around again, facing Ash and Gohan.  "Now my pet," Ertai shouted, pointing at the Son brothers, "get rid of these ants!"

            The warthog growled, and ran forward as fast as it could.  Its hooves made the ground tremble as it plowed forth, attempting to gore the boys.  Its tusks were the size of the boys themselves, but – by their standards – the creature was moving like it was in slow motion.  They had no trouble leaping to the side and watching the monstrosity plow by.

            The warthog skidded to a halt, and frantically turned around to face its foes.  Ertai foresaw the two kids bypassing it again in an attempt to gore him.  He teleported up onto a small bluff, looking down on the two fools battling the beast.  He smirked as the distance gradually closed, until his eyes bugged out of his head when the boys simply thrust forward an open palm, two great blasts of blue-white energy tearing through the warthog like it was nothing, dissolving just the same.

            "What...what sorcery is that?" Ertai said to himself, shocked.  "I've never seen anything like this from _anywhere_ in Rath, let alone coming from the hands of two children!"  His next thoughts were scattered as the ground he was standing on suddenly gave way.  He began falling amongst a shower of stone debris, caused by Ash and Gohan blasting the cliff to pieces.  But that wasn't the end of it.  Ertai never hit the ground, as the boys bounced him around with a series of hard-hitting punches and kicks.

            Ertai pulled himself to his feet.  A wounded deer was cowering against a tree within arm's reach of him.  He didn't see the boys' next plan, but could feel the energy building around him.  He grabbed the deer with his natural hands and held his engineered hands out in front of him.  The grip on the deer was enough to strangle it to death, while at the same time, drawing its life force from it, all in an effort to block the attack...

            "Kaaaa...meeee...haaaa...meeee.........HAAAAA!"

            As the blue energy wave careened at Ertai, he generated an energy shield with the now-dead deer's ki.  Despite its incredible power, the Kamehameha beam was completely absorbed by the defender.  Ash and Gohan were surprised; their mouths wide open in shock.

            "Man!" Ash shouted, "He just...absorbed it like it was nothing!"

            Ertai brought his arm back behind him, and made a throwing motion with both hands.  Suddenly, water rushed in, roughly 20 ft. deep.  Ertai floated above the deluge as the water tore through everything in its wake.

            "A little water isn't going to stop us," Gohan scoffed.  "Right Ash?"  Gohan didn't get a response right away.  "Ash?"

            The only response that came from Ash came in the form of flushed skin, nervous whimpering, and violent trembling.  The rushing water reminded him of how his mother died when a flood tore through his hometown of Pallet, leaving very little behind. 

* * * * *

            As the water rushed across the landscape, it eventually got lower, but still made a very large mess as it cascaded through the streets of Tokyo.  Bikes, small cars, and a handful of pedestrians were suddenly swept away from the magically charged water.  Including...

            "MY BIKE!"

            Darien Shields leapt up a chain link fence as he suddenly found tons of water bearing down upon him.  His Kawasaki Ninja wasn't so lucky, and he watched forlornly as his new motorcycle was washed down the street.  He hung his head in disgust, the thought of his newest investment just being liquidated – literally.

            "Hey, is this your bike?"

            Darien looked to his left.  Floating about ten feet above the ground – with his motorcycle slung over one shoulder like a baseball bat, no less – was Goku.  As the water receded, Goku settled down, and Darien hopped off the fence.  Goku set the bike down on the street, and glanced back at his friend and trusted ally.

            "You know if you had simply listened to my advice and gotten a Harley, you wouldn't run into problems like this," Goku said.

            "Those things are too clunky and slow," Darien argued.  "Besides, you know they're not my style."

            "You _have _no style..."

            Both Goku and Darien let out a startled yelp as the sound of collapsing metal caught them by surprise.  The bike had apparently rusted quite rapidly when it was exposed to the water, and had broken apart into several pieces.

            "That's it," Darien grumbled, turning into Tuxedo Mask.  "Someone's gonna pay for this.  I say we go find this guy and put him in his place!"

            "But...why are you going that way?"

            Darien sighed in disgust.  "See, everything was being washed in _that _direction.  Therefore, the source of the flood – and whatever caused it – is in _this _direction."  Goku's naivety and denseness really got on Darien's nerves.

            "Oh.  Well sure, I'll go with you.  What's the worst that could happen?"

            Without another word, Goku and Tuxedo Mask took off like bullets in the direction of the flood's source. 

* * * * *

            The battle with the wizard was not going as planned.  The Son boys were half-expecting to do away with this guy in a few minutes, jet back to the city and hook up with their respective girlfriends.  That in mind, it was probably their fault for being in the situation they were in.

            Gohan and his brother Ash were toying with the physically and seemingly spiritually weaker Ertai for the duration of the fight.  Gohan had to resort to punching Ash once or twice after the flood came, trying to snap him out of his sudden state of shock.  Ertai had been harassing the boys with a number of fire, water and electrical spells (the latter type Ash wasn't affected by; being habitually shocked by Pikachu made him immune to most electricity).

            Ertai thrust his hands out at a mountain, and from the rock, a ball of fire the size of a pick-up truck roared out at Gohan.  The fireball came to a sudden stop as Gohan countered the magic with his Massenkoha.

            "Okay," Gohan grumbled, "this has gone on for too long.  Time to put this to an end!"  And with that, Gohan powered up, and morphed into his Super Saiyan form.  Though he was far stronger than his opponent, he proved to be no match for him, much to the Super Saiyan's surprise.

            After sustaining an intense onslaught, Ertai advanced backward sharply, leaving a golden ring of energy in his wake.  Gohan kept pushing, though, and flew through the magic ring.  The second he cleared it, it suddenly clamped down around his neck, and Gohan's energy drained from him.  He reverted to his normal form, and found he couldn't even fly.  When he tried to power up, he found the magic collar around his neck tightened violently, choking him.  Only when his ki wasn't active did this not happen.  Ertai laughed maniacally.

            "Stupid little kid," Ertai called out.  "You walked right into that."

            "Wh-what is this?" Gohan grunted, pulling at the painful magical collar around his neck.

            "It's a little technique I devised called a 'mana chain'," Ertai explained.  "It constricts further and further the more ki is pumped into it.  Try powering up again like that, and it'll pop your head right off!"  Gohan pulled at the chain, but it didn't budge.  He felt it become more difficult to breathe.  Gohan fell to one knee, now gasping.  "If you liked this, you're gonna love this next trick!"  Ertai's power grew further, and he was readying one of his most powerful spells.

            Ash, after being slammed into the ground creating a large crater, regained his footing to find his brother unable to defend himself.  His instinct and emotions took over, and he rocketed over to his brother and his enemy, selflessly throwing himself in front of the in the path of the spell.

            "This curse will tear your soul to shreds!" Ertai shouted with a twisted laugh.  His laughter paused for only a brief moment, when he saw Gohan's brother suddenly place himself in between the two of them, arms spread wide and shouting at the top of his lungs.  His eyebrow arched, but he didn't let up for a second.

            "NOOOOOOOO!!!"

            Ash began to feel light-headed, dizzy and nauseated, then felt like he was coming undone.  Everything began to turn bright white as he felt both his body and soul shattering like glass.

TO BE CONTINUED………


	2. Joined as One

Soul Bound Ashan

For those of you upset over the curious lack of updates, let me take this time to set the record straight.  I have not abandoned any of my works.  Instead, when Dec. 1st rolled around, I had decided right then and there that my Christmas special would come first.  Now that that story has concluded, I can get back on track with my other works.  Thanks for your patience and your support.

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters do not belong to me.

            Ertai watched, a bit puzzled by the sight before him.  He wasn't very much surprised by the actions of the (presumably) younger boy.  It didn't take a master wizard to tell that the two boys had a deep link between them.  Clearly they were willing to die for one another, as the boy with the green, fingerless gloves demonstrated.

            What happened after that was a bigger surprise.

            The body of the boy known as Ash seemed to drift in slow motion towards the boy known as Gohan.  As the spell was supposed to do, lines of glowing energy began to form all over Ash's body, resembling cracks, like his body was about to shatter like glass.  It did indeed, albeit a few feet from Gohan (still in his Super Saiyan form).  Instead of the shards of the boy's body dispersing to the four winds, they instead crashed into Gohan with the force of a meteor.  Gohan was blown back nearly forty yards, unconscious, his body radiating with a strange glow.  No one, not even Ertai, would understand the effects of Ash's selflessness for quite a while.  Magic that overwhelmed and corrupted Gohan manifested in a bright gold flare of light, which radiated for miles.  Ertai shielded his eyes from the blinding light. 

* * * * *

            "…Or maybe you'd much rather prefer riding a West Coast Chopper," Goku commented with a slight chuckle.

            Not long after they had taken off to find the source of the flood, Goku tried to – in his own way – get Darien out of the sudden funk he was in.  It was understandable that he could be upset over losing a bike that he just brought, but Goku figured since he did just buy it, how attached to it could he be?

            "Oh, give it a rest, already," Darien, now in his superhero form Tuxedo Mask, grumbled.  "I'll get over it.  It was just a bike…"

            "See?  That's what I've been saying!"  As they were flying, Goku turned to one side to face Darien.  "Come on, a motorcycle can be replaced.  Lives…well, that's not as easy to restore.  Know what I'm saying?"

            "Sure," Tuxedo Mask answered.  He looked forward, when he saw a bright light radiating straight for them.  "What the hell is that?" he asked with a groan.  "YOW!"

            In seconds, the light was upon them, and he and Goku instantly stopped in midair and assumed defensive poses.  It blasted passed them, leaving the two warriors a bit shocked, their clothes singed around the edges, but alright.

            "What _was _that?" Goku asked.  "Jeez, I got a feeling that everyone in Tokyo could've seen that!"

            "Yes," Darien added, "that's exactly what we need…civil unrest within the city."

            "Come on," Goku said, the joking, happy demeanor he once had put aside and settling into his serious, battle-hardened attitude.  "Let's put a stop to this before there's any more trouble."

            "Right."  Their ki ignited like fire, and the two heroes took off like bullets towards the disturbance. 

* * * * *

            Between the foreign wizard and the oncoming heroes, two more were about to make their presence known.

            As they closed on the source of the disturbance, Goku and Tuxedo Mask's collective attention was drawn to a column of light that radiated from the ground.  Goku was ready to attack; Darien recognized it immediately—Sailor Teleport.

            The two men drifted to the ground, and were met with the startled gasps of the two youngest Sailor Soldiers.  The smaller of the two – technically the leader of said group, save from her father – was Reenie Shields, a.k.a. Neo-Sailor Moon.  After her mother's shifting of sides, she took on the task of reforming the still-loyal allies…namely Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto.  Aside from the crush she held on a half-human half-Saiyan martial artist, Reenie devoted all of her attention during this time to revamping the Sailor Scouts.  She also redesigned the uniforms worn by the Soldiers; instead of the old fuku they used to wear, the new attire looked like Chinese-style fighting dresses (a la Chun-Li), each retaining their respective colors.  Reenie's was pink trimmed in yellow, a yellow crescent moon on the front flap of the dress.  Each Soldier wore white calf-high boots.

            With her was her best friend, Hotaru Tomoe.  Loyal to Reenie through thick and thin, Hotaru bears the mantle of one of the most lethal and most feared Soldier—Sailor Saturn.  For quite a while, Hotaru did not have any control of herself; for a while she was possessed by the demon Mistress Nine, while Sailor Saturn lay dormant within her.  Once the demon was purged from her being and she returned to her normal form, she was not only able to control Sailor Saturn, but also control her powers like any other Sailor Soldier.  It was not long after that that she became a then-Sailor Scout loyal to "the New Moon" (as Reenie's leadership was called).  It was also around this time that she became the object of affection to a young Pokémon master from America.

            "Reenie?" Darien asked, "What are you doing out here?"

            "We saw the bright light and came to check it out," she answered.  Around this circle of heroes – namely the Sailor Soldiers and the "Z-Warriors" – each one knew the other's "secret" identity.  Here, they had nothing to hide; addressing them by their real names when not in the public eye like this was common.

            "Well that's all well and good, but shouldn't you have waited for the others?"

            "There was no time," Sailor Saturn answered.  "Reenie told me she was almost certain Gohan would be out here.  Don't ask me why…"

            "Where are the others, anyway?" Goku asked.

_            —They won't help you now, Goku—_

Everyone's ears pricked at the sound of another voice echoing out through the desolate plains.  They all looked around frantically for the source of the voice, not finding anything until said source materialized before them.  She stood as tall as Goku, with olive skin and long, dark green hair flowing down her back.  Her dark green and black trimmed attire identified her as a Sailor Soldier, and the planetary symbol of Pluto further identified her as Sailor Pluto.  She stood before the four, the gem in her key-shaped staff the Time Staff glowing.

            "What," Goku asked, "they've been taken out?"

            Sailor Pluto sighed and shook her head no.  _All that strength has to come with a price, _Trista Vernon thought.  "No, Goku.  They are much too far away to aid us in this battle," she explained.  "Lita is in the Philippines; Amy is in London; Mina is in Pennsylvania.  A lone Sailor Soldier cannot cover that great a distance teleporting on their own."  She then looked to Sailor Saturn and Neo-Sailor Moon.  "I'm surprised you and Saturn were able to pull off a teleport between just the two of you, Small Lady."

            "I know," Reenie answered.  "But I saw the others do it a few times, so I figured, how hard could it be?"

            Trying to get the conversation back on topic, Darien quickly changed the subject.  "Have you seen what's over there?" he asked Pluto.  "What do you know thus far?"

            "Whatever this being is entered our planet from beyond this plane of existence," she explained.  "Being the Guardian of Time, if he had come from the past or the future, I would've known about it and put a stop to it then and there.  But this one…this one is different.  He wields magic the likes of which I've seen _once _before.  I believe the name for these types is 'Planeswalker.'"

            "Walkers-in-the-what-now?" Goku asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

            "Our own universe is but one of many.  Though beings of this plane are unable to do so – despite the power of our own magic, the strength of Goku and his friends and Earthly technology – those who live outside our universe are able to move from one plane to another with varying effort.  I only remember one such Planeswalker who visited the Earth—an artificer who called himself Urza."

            "When did this happen?" Reenie asked.

            "It was long before our time," Pluto said.  "I met with this Urza to find out the truth behind his intrusion onto the Earth.  He explained to me that his home world was on the verge of invasion and complete destruction, and was desperately seeking aid for his cause.  He pleaded for me to help, but this was just before the awakening of Sailor Moon in this day and age.  I told him that very soon, Earth itself would be in grave peril, and I was bound by my duty to the Earth here.  Though I found his cause noble, I couldn't help him.  And that was the last I saw of him."

            "I…see…" Goku said lowly.  He wasn't quite sure if he fully understood what she was talking about, but that never hindered him before.  "What else is going on?"

            "Whoever this outsider is, he wants trouble…and he just may get it."  She looked to Goku again.  "Goku, both Ash and Gohan have already engaged this wizard in battle.  I fear that they may be in over their heads."

            "How are they doing?  Can they handle it?  Are they alright?"

            "They are…but they aren't."

            Goku cocked his head to the side.  "What's that mean?"

            "What I've seen can't be put into words.  You must see it for yourself."

            "Where are they?" Reenie asked.  Though she knew Gohan was a strong guy, she very much worried about his safety.

            "They're about ten miles north of here," Pluto answered, pointing in the direction with her Time Staff.  "I must warn you to be careful."

            "Hey, don't worry," Goku reassured.  As a warrior, he had faith in his sons' abilities as fighters themselves.  As a father, he was worried for their sake.  "This is nothing we can't handle."  Darien picked up his daughter in his arms, while Hotaru climbed onto Goku's back.  "Time to go to work."  Goku and Darien flew off moments later.

            Trista watched as the four of them depart.  The jewel in her staff gave off a bright red glow, and moments later, she disappeared into the time stream.  Her plan was to reappear where Goku and the other were headed, moments later. 

* * * * *

            Even though he was fairly certain his prey was dead, Ertai approached cautiously, not sure of what to expect.  He was fairly certain that the spell he cast had eliminated his targets.  When he said that it would rip one of their souls to pieces, he had half-expected the victim not to have a carcass left behind.  Ertai approached the smoldering body slowly.  He stopped a few feet away, and his eyes grew wide in surprise.

            There, at his feet, was the body of one of the boys.  He could sense that this body was not that of either Ash or Gohan.  But it was someone…different.  The body was face down in the dirt, so he couldn't get a look at his face.  Perhaps the rest of his body could tell a little more.  The two were wearing the same attire save for the taller one who wore green, fingerless gloves on each hand.  This one was missing those gloves.  Both of them had black hair, but the older one's hair suddenly turned blond during the fight.  Had this been a way for his body to compensate the sudden increase in power he generated, Ertai did not know.  As far as he could remember, said hair color was still blond when he cast the spell.  The end result was this victim's hair had blond hair intermingling with black hair—all of which stood straight up off the top of his head.

            _"HEY YOU!"_

            Ertai had no more time to further examine the body.  He was quickly snatched out of his thoughts upon hearing a loud shouting originating from high above his head.  He looked up and saw two figures there…each with a younger being in tow.  The two larger ones slowly drifted to the ground, setting the two younger ones down as they did.  The taller one, dressed in orange and blue fighting attire addressed Ertai first.  He looked similar to the boy known as Gohan.  Could he…?

            "What have you done to my sons?" he shouted.  Ertai's suspicions were right; this man was the father of both boys.  Ertai could feel the ki of these four fighters – the older males, especially – radiating off of them.  It disturbed him deeply.  If he had an admittedly tough time getting the children out of the way, imagine what kind of problems the father could cause!  Deciding this new threat was too much for him to handle at the current time, Ertai was quick to run away.  He got a total of six steps in the opposite direction when another figure materialized right before him.  The Guardian of Time, Sailor Pluto, stood before the corrupted Ertai, her gaze as hard as stone.  Ertai froze as though he did turn to stone, not sure of what to do.

            Ertai suddenly felt stuffy and claustrophobic around these five.  "Well…" he said in a low tone, "looks like I have no choice…" He raised his original hands to his chest, forming a diamond with his real and artificial hands.  A flash of white light radiated from that diamond, and with a sarcastic "Ciao!", Ertai disappeared.

            All five were about to converge on the alien wizard when he made his quick escape.  They dwelled on his departure only for a few moments before turning their attention to more important matters—namely, the safety of Ash and Gohan.

            "Gohan?" Goku called, noticing the fallen body not too far off.  Goku, Darien, Reenie and Hotaru hurried over to the fallen, with Trista walking behind at a slower pace.  "Are you alright?"  The former four slowed to a halt when they began to suspect that this victim wasn't as familiar to them as they thought.  The black and blond hair this boy sported initiated these suspicions.

            "Get him onto his back," Darien said.  "Gently now…" Reenie and Hotaru pushed the boy over, and he flopped onto his back with a low groan.  His eyes opened slowly, and everyone looked at him in surprise.

            The boy's face was familiar, but it wasn't.  First were his eyes; the eyes themselves were elongated and narrow like Gohan's (similar to the look Gohan had when he gets angry), but the irises looked like long, vertical lines drawn on the eyeball itself, and were a shade of dark brown.  His eyebrows were blond and paper-thin.  A lock of black hair hung in the middle of his forehead, just barely getting in his eyes.  The hair – as noted earlier – was spiked up all the way through, and was a mix of black and blond.  His nose was long, narrow, and pointed, with a pointed chin to boot.  The boy's ears were just the right size, not the least out of proportion.

            "**_Where am I?_**" he asked, slowly rising to his feet.  The most surprising thing was when the boy asked the question, it sounded as if Ash _and _Gohan were speaking simultaneously.

            "G-Gohan?" Reenie asked, nervously.

            "Ash?" Hotaru asked, quietly.

            "**Yeah** _that's me_," he answered.  This time, it answered as though Gohan spoke first, followed quickly by Ash.  "**What's everybody looking at?  **_It's just us._"  The boy saw both Reenie and Hotaru standing on either side of him, a bit off to the side of him.  He then tried to walk over to both Sailor Soldiers at the same time before tripping and falling to the ground.  It was all starting to come together.

            "Okay," Goku started, "so just what the hell is going on?"  He looked at Pluto.  "Who is that?"

            "It was as bad as I thought," Pluto started.  "What happened was that Ertai – that wizard your sons were fighting – tried to cast a spell on Gohan that would…pretty much tear his soul to shreds.  Well, Ash threw himself in the way, and he took the hit instead of Gohan."

            "**Is he alright**?" the boy asked. "_Yeah, I'm fine.  See_?"  The boy looked around, assuming to find someone else talking to him.  "_Uh… _**What?  I'm right here.  **_Where?_"  His rapid turning of his head continued until he noticed everyone staring at him oddly.  "**_What?_**"

            "So…what happened as a result?" Darien asked.

            "The result…was that instead of Ash's soul dispersing to the universe, the force of the blow bowled the two of them over.  The best I can surmise is that both Ash's and Gohan's souls are now bound into the same body…" she gestured to the young boy who she referred to, "…as you can see."

            "**_Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!_**" the boy wailed in shock.  "**_We're stuck like this?_**"

            "I'm sorry," Pluto said.  "I…don't know what to do."

            "Hey, what's your name, anyway, kid?" Darien asked.  He knew that the boy was a combination of Ash and Gohan, but by what name did this product go by?

            Gohan answered with his name.  Ash answered with his at the same time.  What came out in the end was a combination of both component names.  "**_Ashan_**," the boy answered.

            _Man, this sucks, _Ash thought.  _How are we going to undo this?  _**You got the two of us stuck together, **Gohan thought, **you figure it out.**  _Dude!  What is your problem?!_  **You could hear that?**  _Yes, I could hear that!  I can hear your thoughts, bro.  _**I can hear yours, too.**

            As the others discussed the issue of Ash and Gohan bound together openly, Ashan was at war within, his two component personalities bickered back and forth with one another.  All the while, the look on Ashan's face grew more and more despondent. 

TO BE CONTINUED………


	3. Waking Nightmares

Soul Bound Ashan

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters do not belong to me.

Sorry for the long delay in updating _anything_.  Do you forgive me?

            "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIII?!?!"

            This was Chichi's less-than-calm reaction when Goku explained the presence of the young boy who was neither one of their sons, but…was.  It was terribly difficult for the poor woman to grip the fate of her two eldest sons, and was extremely shocked to say the least.  The final straw came when Ashan – as the merger of the two boys was called – spoke to his mother, trying to calm her.  Not only did he speak as though he were Ash and Gohan individually, but as one as well.  The shock became too much for Chichi to bear, and she ended up fainting.

            Goku laid Chichi out on the couch, while Ashan got a damp washcloth to drape over her head, as instructed.  The two kneeled by her, waiting for her to come back around.

            "Chichi?" Goku coaxed.  He gently nudged her shoulder.  "Chichi, you feeling any better?"

            "Uh, unnh…" came the reply.  Slowly, she opened her eyes, and felt relieved upon looking into the eyes of her husband.  "Goku."  
  


            "**_Are you alright, mom_**?" Chichi's ears perked at the sound of Ash and Gohan's voices.  She looked over, hoping to see the face_s _of her two boys, but instead, saw the mutant creep standing by her husband's side.  She felt light-headed again, and fainted once again.  Ashan groaned despondently with both voices.

            _Aw, man, _Ash thought, _she's not gonna act like this until we're separated, are we?_

            **Let's hope not, **Gohan thought.  Gohan could sense Ash's despair in his thought-speech, and picked up on it.  **Believe me, little bro, I don't like being stuck like this any more than you do.**

            _You seemed pretty shook up about it earlier.  How do you expect me to figure out how to get us unstuck_ alone_?  You're part of this too, you know!_

            **Ash!  Calm down, will you?!  You know—**

            "Guys," came the voice of Goku, derailing both trains of thought.

            "**_Yeah?_**" Ashan answered.

            "I was trying to say something to the two of you," Chichi continued, now over her shock, apparently.  "And you were ignoring me?"

            "**No, **_that's not it!  _**You've got it** _all wrong_!" Ashan tried to explain, "**We**, _we weren't ignoring, you_, **no**!  _We were just_…**_thinking_**."

            "Well you were certainly taking your sweet time, weren't you?"  Now, Chichi was more angry than anything.  She was on her feet, talking down to her "sons".  Gohan was feeling aggravated, while Ash's heart was beginning to break.  "You know boys, there was a way you could've avoided all this.  'Really, mom?  How?'  By doing what you were supposed to do and coming straight home after school and getting started on your homework and not gallivanting around!"

            Ashan's face bore a look of disgust and anguish at the same time—disgust from Gohan, anguish from Ash.  His eyes were beginning to tear up, but he was fighting them off as well.

            _You could at least ask us if we're all right, you know, _Ash thought despondently.

            "Think of this as your punishment for disobeying me," Chichi said.  "Sharing a body – as you two are doing now – will wind up being worse than any grounding your father and I could think up!"

            Gohan slapped his forehead mentally, which shifted into Ashan doing the same.  Mentally, Gohan dragged a hand through his long, black hair, trying to figure out what her problem was.  She was right about not coming home right after school, but she was way off otherwise.  Chichi had no idea what happened outside the city that afternoon; even if they explained it, she probably wouldn't get it.  Both boys agreed her overreaction was completely uncalled for.  

            Just ask Ash.  "_Well,_" Ashan started, speaking as Ash, tears running down his face, "_the next time the world needs to be saved, YOU fucking do it!_"  He choked out a sob immediately after his outburst.

            Goku's eyes grew as big as saucers.  Never in a million years had he even dreamed of his sons speaking to him _or _his wife like that, raising their voice and using such deplorable language.  He was about to voice his disgust, and reprimand them for speaking the way they did, but Chichi did that for him.

            Chichi's hand lashed out so quickly neither Goku nor Ashan saw it coming.  The palm of her hand struck Ashan's left cheek with a loud crack (and a pained moan from both boys), sending him stumbling to the side a few steps.  "Don't you DARE talk to me like that, you hear me?!" she screamed, making the boy cringe in fear.  Ashan's tears were flowing more freely now, the majority of them coming from Ash.  A few were from Gohan, but only the two boys who shared the body of the being known as Ashan knew that.  Sure, there were plenty of times when Gohan's parents were angry with him.  But never _once _did Goku or Chichi raise their fists to him.  His mother's latest action really took him by surprise.

            Ashan hung his head, and Ash's voice was present in his whimpering.  His eyes were clenched shut, tears spilling forth from them.  "**Ash…**" Ashan said, speaking as Gohan.  The contrast of the child being both in hysterics and trying to comfort itself at the same time was very disturbing.  "**Come on, Ash, calm down.**"

            "_No!_" Ash's voice called.  His eyes were still shut and his head still hung.  "_I won't calm down!  She doesn't know what happened out there!_"  He paused, whimpering.  "_I…I didn't mean for any of this to happen, anyway!  Really!_"

            "**I know, little bro—**"

            "_B-but what could I do, huh?  It was either _this _or…or just sit back and watch you die.  I couldn't let that happen!_"

            Chichi's face fell as Ashan began to cry more, dragging his hands through his black and blonde hair.  Apparently, she was too much in shock to absorb Goku's entire story, so this sudden outburst from Ashan struck her curiosity.  One would think that after all the times she learned of her husband and son risking their lives (and those of innocent people and their friends) to save some corner of the universe – not necessarily their own – from obliteration, oppression, exploitation, whatever.  Almost every time, Goku was there, playing savior; if not just him, than he and a bunch of his friends.  Stories would inevitably surface, telling of the deeds of the aforementioned "saviors".  Chichi grew jaded to such tales, brushing them off in the end…that's how twisted their exploits had become in her eyes.

            But never had she expected to get something this drastic to come straight from the source.

            "You…" she started, "Gohan…Ash saved your life?"

            Ashan wiped some tears from his face, looking at "his" mother with forlorn eyes.  "**Yeah,**" Gohan answered.  "**And…and he's really sorry, too.  So am I, mom.  W-we had no idea we would end up…like this.**"

            Ashan was stunned by their mother's next move.  Her anger completely vanished as she threw her arms around her merged boys, drawing them tightly to her.  Both halves of Ashan were still shaken up, however – especially after Chichi slapped the taste out of their collective mouth – and hesitated to return the embrace.  Especially Ash's half, noted by Ashan's shaky left arm.

            "It's okay, boys," Chichi coaxed, "it's alright.  You don't have to be sorry."  Noticing the boy's shaky arm, she reached down herself and pulled the trembling limb around her waist to join the other.  "You're right.  I didn't have any idea what you two went through.  I'm sorry for making it worse for you."  She let go of Ashan and looked him in the eyes.  That was a feat in and of itself, considering how conflicted the two personalities within felt; Ash couldn't bring himself to look at the woman, yet Gohan couldn't keep her eyes off her, resulting in Ashan's head darting from straight ahead and down and away every half-second.  "I love you boys."

            _There's no way she can mean that, _Ash thought, _especially after what I said to her.  She probably hates me._

            **No she doesn't, Ash, **Gohan thought.  **Man, why are you so mistrusting…and why do you take things harder than they have to be?  I mean…I thought you came from a bad family; you acted like your mom never hit you.**

            _My mom NEVER hit me, _Ash responded, bitter at the memories of his childhood.  _It was always my father.  Hell, he used to beat _her_ too, the rotten son of a bitch._

            "_But…_" Ashan started, "_…what about the things you said about not coming home and…and…_"

            Chichi kneeled down in front of Ashan, silencing him with a finger on his lips.  "If you're willing to forget what I said, I'll forget what you said, alright?"

            There was a slight pause.  "**_Okay,_**" Ashan answered.

            "Besides," Chichi continued, "I'm just glad to see you're alive…in a manner of speaking."

            "_I'm still sorry it's not in the manner you wanted_," Ashan said, remorsefully.

            Anything else Ashan wanted to add to that was abruptly cut off, as a strong, yet gentle hand laid itself upon Ashan's right shoulder.  Without even looking, he knew it was Goku, and as he safely assumed, he was smiling warmly at him when he looked at him.  "Don't worry," he said.  "We'll help you get through this, boys."  Goku paused as he let his words sink in, then reached his arms around and embraced his sons.  The family held their group hug for a few long moments before separating.

            "But first thing's first," Chichi started.  "you two need a bath…badly."

            "**_Okay, mom_**," Ashan answered.  Everyone was feeling much better now, now that there were no more surprises, no more secrets between them concerning Ash and Gohan's condition.  Even if Chichi's words did linger in the back of (at least) Ash's mind, there was no more hostility between parents and children for the time being.

            Wait…what Chichi said…about being stuck together…it was starting to sink in.  **Wait a second, **Gohan thought.

            Ash was having similar thoughts.  _Take a bath?_

* * * * *

            The mood in the bathroom a few minutes later was morbid, to say the least.  At the far end, by the door, stood Ashan, his eyes narrowed into a look somewhere between appall and mortification.  He was clad in only a blue towel wrapped around his waist.  Not a single muscle in his body was moving, his breath barely audible.  One would hardly know anyone was using the bathroom at the time.

            Inside Ashan's subconscious, Ash and Gohan were equally disturbed by what they would have to endure momentarily.  Normally, neither boy had any problems with bathing—it was routine for them.  However, problems arose when they suddenly remembered their condition.  Considering how the two boys now share a body – yet keep their individual minds – what one brother  would hear, feel, taste, smell, and see, the other would experience at the same time.  Whatever state of dress or undress their fused product was in, they would reflect.  In other words, Ashan bathing meant the two brothers seeing each other naked…which is precisely what neither one of them wanted.

            **So…**Gohan thought.

            _Uh…_

            **How do we do this?**

            _I assume you mean get washed, given our current predicament._

            **Duh.  **Ashan's right hand slowly, cautiously reached for the knot in the towel, attempting to undo it, when his left hand smacked the right hand away.  **What is your problem?**

            _What's _your _problem?  There's nothing for you to see down there!_

            **Oh, would you grow up, already?  I don't feel like hearing about how much we stink to high Heaven, alright?**

            _Well then what do you suggest we do?_

            Gohan mentally rolled his eyes.  **I have an idea, **he thought.  **Just…just zone out for a while, okay?  I'll handle this.**

            A pause.  _Okay.  That'll work._

            **Just don't think I'll be the only one in charge of bathing, alright?**

            _Fine.  We'll alternate.  For the duration._

            **Good.  **Ashan hung his head, and Gohan could feel Ash's presence fading until it was more than enough for Gohan to take control.  They had been fused together for only a few hours, but the boys soon learned what they could and couldn't do with their new form.  At this point, Gohan was in total control of Ashan, unlike earlier, when Ash was so distraught after what happened with their battle with Ertai that he essentially hijacked control of the body and departed for parts unknown.  It took some heavy coaxing from Gohan – not to mention a few bumps and bruises – for the two to return to equal control and go home.

            Ashan looked in the mirror, noticing his merged form for the first time.  He was a bit surprised with what he saw.  From what Gohan could make out of the eyes, it was essentially the shape of his eyes with Ash's eyeballs.  Ash's eyebrows were pencil-thin in comparison to his, and as a result, took on that narrow shape and the blond Super Saiyan color.  Gohan had a rounded chin; Ash's was more pointed.  The result was something in between.  Ashan stared hard into the mirror, looking over his frame.  Both boys were muscular, but Gohan was far superior in that respect.  Ash was built, but was more wiry by comparison…more toned.  There were some traits that were more pronounced than others, and Gohan's muscular physique was one example…even if Ashan did have Ash's longer legs.

            Having enough of his self-evaluation, Ashan hastily discarded the towel and hopped in the shower, turning on the hot water.  He stood with his back to the spray, letting the water run down him.  He groaned lethargically, using only Gohan's voice since Ash has receded.  After the water had thoroughly soaked him (and his hair), he reached for a bottle of shampoo.  Ashan lathered his hair, while Gohan made a mental not of whose hair was whose:  coarse, bristly hair—Gohan in Super Saiyan form; fine, soft hair—plain old Ash.  He looked down as he lathered his hair, staring absentmindedly at the drain.

            Suddenly, Gohan felt a tingling in the back of his head, like someone was poking around his mind.  Ashan's eyes flashed open suddenly.

            _I guess the Super Saiyan effect turns every _hair on your body blonde, doesn't it? _Ash thought with a hearty laugh._

            Ashan's eyes narrowed, and he growled in Gohan's voice.  Suddenly, a thunderous force rocked the entire house as Ashan forcefully head-slammed the shower wall.

            "**_Owwwww…_**" Ashan groaned. 

* * * * *

            The house was quiet that night, as the family had settled into bed.  Upstairs in their bedroom, Goku and Chichi slept peacefully, with Chichi drawn close to her husband's chest, an arm wrapped around her waist.  Goten was peacefully asleep in his crib, nigh-oblivious to the day's events.  Elsewhere in the house, that wasn't the story.

            Ashan lay in Gohan's bed (chosen as the result of a coin toss), restless, tossing and turning in his sleep.  It looked as though the boy was going through a nightmare.  That was part right—_both _boys were experiencing nightmares.  The sheets were soaked with Ashan's cold sweat.

* * * * *

            Gohan blinked suddenly, and found himself in a house he did not recognize.  It was late in the day, apparently, as a look out the window displayed a deep, crimson sky caused by the sunset.  The room was small, and was unusually chilly for being located on the second floor of this house.  He took in the surroundings.  Gohan was in a bedroom, apparently, and considering how it was furnished, was for a boy half his age.  A few toys were scattered around the small bedroom, the bed unmade and the sheets dirty.  Looking around, he saw a few dents in the wall and one in the bedroom door.  Gohan shuddered as he looked around.  Who could live in a place like this?

            The door was open, and upon a closer look, he noticed the knob was busted.  It was broken because the door was apparently kicked in.  Gohan stepped through the half-open door and out into the hallway.  To the right was a hallway that led to two more rooms in the house—another bedroom and a bathroom.  To the left was a staircase that led to the rest of the house.  A railing ran right down the middle.  His ears perked at the sound of voices coming from downstairs.

            The voices were none too pleasant.

            Though he couldn't make out what they were saying, Gohan could tell they were angry, malicious voices screaming back and forth at one another.  One was a gruff, raspy voice; the other, a light, sweet and delicate – albeit frightened – one.  As he tried to concentrate on the conversation, another sound came to his ears.

            A small boy was clutching two of the bars on the railing, like a prisoner, squatting down, listening to the screaming coming from downstairs.  He was whimpering, trembling, and had tear streaks on both of his cheeks.

            Gohan's eyes grew wide.  He recognized him right away.  "Ash?" he asked, trying to confirm his suspicions.  "Ash!"

            The whimpering child did not hear him, nor acknowledge his presence.  He just squatted there and shook, tears streaming down his face.  "Hey, man, what's wrong?" Gohan asked the clearly frightened boy.  He moved over to try to console him, but to no avail; he seemed to be completely oblivious to him.  Gohan reached out with his hand, only to watch it pass right through him.  He gasped, and quickly drew his hand back.  He was entranced, it seemed.

            As he watched the frightened child whimper, Gohan started to put the pieces together.  He figured out that he was indeed experiencing a dream, but it wasn't _his _subconscious he was strolling through.  It became clear that he and his adopted brother didn't share just conscious thoughts, but unconscious thoughts as well.

            Gohan only became more worried, however.  If this dream was detailing just one day in the gaijin's life, imagine how the rest of his childhood was, living like this!

            Gohan was about to witness just how harsh Ash's early childhood was.

            Both of their attentions were drawn to the sounds coming from downstairs.  A loud slap resounded from downstairs, accompanied by a woman's (Mrs. Ketchum's) shriek.  The house itself seemed to cringe under the blow, which only served to frighten the poor boy more.  Instinctively, young Ash ran for his bedroom, panicking as he tried to get the door open.  He dashed into the room and flung the door shut, only to have it bounce to about halfway open, considering the doorknob was broken.  Gohan was still surprised to see the boy act this way, but didn't have time to recant on it much.  Just as Ash disappeared into his room, a loud crash echoed throughout the house, followed by a pained scream, and then the sound of a body falling to the ground.  Gohan quickly deduced that Mr. Ketchum had just leveled Mrs. Ketchum with some sort of easily broken object—like a dish or a vase or something.

            Both boys – real or dreamlike – could hear loud thumping coming from downstairs.  "ASHTON!" the gruff voice of Mr. Ketchum bellowed.  "WHERE ARE YOU, BOY?!"

            Gohan looked down the staircase and saw a very large (i.e. fat) man lumber up the stairs, intent on beating his son into a pulp for no apparent reason.  He could tell that this father of his was drunk, as noted by his stumbling about and somewhat slurred speech.  Gohan wondered how the Mrs. Ketchum-to-be (Delia, was her name?) could've been attracted to this hideous beast in any way, let alone in a way to make her want to have children by him.

            He didn't have long to ponder this, though.

            Gohan watched as Mr. Ketchum walked right through him, only to storm into little Ash's bedroom.  "God damn it, boy!  Where are ya?!"  He dashed into the room, curious to the fate of his future stepbrother.  When he entered, he saw the man tearing through the small, dilapidated bedroom, looking for his target.  He checked in the closet, and then out the window, perhaps to see if he had went out onto the roof.  His search was unsuccessful.  Mr. Ketchum turned and walked away, confident that wherever Ash was hiding, he would get the idea that his father had given up…which is exactly what panned out.

            "Hey, you leave Ash alone!" Gohan shouted, despite the fact that no one would hear him.  "I'm warning you!"  Instinctively, Gohan settled into a fighting stance.

            He kept his back to the bedroom window, keeping still for a few moments.  Then, he snapped around and snatched his arms under the bed.  Mr. Ketchum pulled a wailing, screaming, frightened little Ash Ketchum out from underneath the bed.

            For several, horrified minutes, Gohan stood like a statue as he watched the little boy get savagely beaten, his mouth agape with appall.  The screams of the toddler echoed in his mind, imbedded in his subconscious. . .

* * * * *

            In the other half of the subconscious, occupied by the half of Ashan occupied by Ash, the scene was starting off drastically different.

            Ash became aware of his surrounding when he found himself floating a few feet above an endless blue ocean.  It certainly seemed endless, anyway.  The sun was shining, the sea was glistening, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  In a word, picturesque.

            "Where am I?" he asked himself aloud.  He was well aware he was floating, but he knew it wasn't because he was using his ki.  He spun around and his gaze fell to his reflection on the water, or what little of it there was.  He leaned forward, inadvertently putting his body at a 45-degree angle with the surface from his head.  Ash saw that his body was only half visible, translucent, like he was a ghost.

            "No, wait a minute," he started, panicking.  "I _can't _be dead!  I mean, I could at least have a day or two to at least _try _to get used to my shared body!  What the fuck?!"  The last he remembered was falling asleep in Gohan's bed, with his soul and his own fused into a body that looked half like him, half like Gohan.  He didn't remember passing from one plane to another, or any angels coming for either himself or his brother during the night.

            Ash deduced this was a dream world by proxy.

            "So now what?" he asked himself again, as though another personality would instantly develop and answer him or something.  For what it was worth, when he was in the dream world, he had his own body, his own form.  He didn't have to do things without Gohan's agreement, as was his case with Ashan.  

            As he was looking around, pondering, he saw an object come up on the horizon.  Ash shielded his eyes from the sun with his hands (even though he was wearing his favorite hat in this dream sequence) and noticed the object was getting closer.  He squinted, and noticed a very familiar face.  It was Goku!  He was sitting Indian style on the Nimbus Cloud (or Kintoun), an orange, enchanted cloud that he used to travel from place to place in lieu of flying (before he really picked up on the technique, so the story goes).  There was someone else with him too; in his lap, there was a small child with the Four-Star Dragonball on his bright red cap.  Given the adult was Goku, Ash figured the child was a very young Gohan.

            "Hey, alright!" Ash said to himself.  "It's Goku!  And it looks like he's headed right this way."  He started waving his arms over his head, trying to get his attention.  "HEY YOU GUYS!" Ash shouted.  "OVER HERE!"

            Goku and Gohan, however, did not notice the young lad.  In fact, they seemed to pass right through him.  Ash looked over his shoulder and watched as they sped off, never once acknowledging his presence.  If Ash knew any better, he'd know it was because he wasn't actually at that moment in time, and that moment in time wasn't his.

            Ash decided to follow them nonetheless.

            In his spiritual(?) form, Ash couldn't use his own ki to fly around like normally.  He could still drift in the direction Goku and Gohan were heading.  He followed their trail to a small, remote island in the middle of the vast ocean.  Ash recognized the Kame house right away; he had visited it once or twice before.  Hell, anyone could recognize it…no other remote island anywhere in the world was occupied by a small house with the words Kame House written in big red letters on the side.

            Ash arrived just in time to watch Goku disembark from the cloud, the four-year-old Gohan seated in one arm.  "We're here!" Goku shouted.  Three more figure appeared, exiting the Kame House with surprised expressions on their face.  So far, all of the faces in this dream were familiar; the three who emerged were Bulma, Krillin and Master Roshi himself.  They were all happy to see their old friend.

            "Hey, Goku!" Bulma started.  "Long time, no see."  Her head cocked to the side and she took note of the child Goku was carrying with him.  "Who's the kid?"

            "Man, Goku," Krillin started, a smug smile on his face.  "The strongest fighter on the planet has been reduced to mere babysitting?  What a riot!"

            "Babysitting, nothing," Goku said.  "He's my son."

            Krillin, Master Roshi and Bulma's jaws hit the ground.  "_Whaaaaaa??!_" they wailed simultaneously.  "He's your _son_?!

            "Well, yeah," Goku answered, a bit confused.  He let Gohan down, and Ash noticed something he never saw before on his older brother.  From out of the back of his outfit came a prehensile monkey tail that was nearly as long as Gohan was tall.  This was new to Ash.  He had asked Gohan once about a strange, sensitive scar on the small of back the size of a 500-yen coin, which was brownish-black in color.  Gohan explained about the aforementioned tail, noting it was "a Saiyan thing".  He also said that his father had a tail at one point as well, and was removed like him a while ago.  Goku lacked that scar, however.  "Go on, say hi to everyone, Gohan."

            Bowing nervously, the boy complied.  "Hello, everyone," he said.

            "So does the kid have a name, Goku?"

            "Oh sure.  His name's Gohan."

            Bulma kneeled down to the boy's level.  "And how old are you, little man?" she asked with a bright smile.

            Gohan paused for a second, counting on his fingers.  He then proudly held up his right hand, brandishing four fingers, his thumb neatly tucked against his palm.  "I'm this many years old!" he said with a cute laugh.

            "Wow, you're way too polite to be Goku's son, Gohan," she said, rubbing his head.

            "Gohan…" Master Roshi reiterated.  "So you named him after your grandfather, didn't you?"

            "Yep.  Better than some of Chichi's suggestions, now that I think of it."  They all laughed at Goku's comment, save for Gohan, who not only didn't know what they were talking about but was busy playing Rock Paper Scissors with the giant Turtle that lived on the island with Roshi.  
  
            Ash had strayed away from the group, watching Gohan play with Turtle.  Watching Gohan act so carefree and innocent brought a smile to his face, while at the same time, made him feel a bit jealous, and sad.  The young Gohan was so happy, so cheery, practically the exact opposite of how he was when he was that age.  Just by the way he acted, Ash could tell that his parents loved him a great deal, and that he came from a very happy family.  And yet, Ash didn't have that.  Sure, he knew his mother loved him, but his father never seemed to give a shit for him one way or another.

            Ash felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes water up with tears.  He said it several time sin the past, but he means every single word of it.  He would gladly trade in everything – his Pokémon, his journey, his fame, his training, everything – if it meant he could go back and live a normal childhood where both his parents loved each other, and him.  It was one dream he knew he could never realize.

            He couldn't tell Gohan about that…he'd never hear the end of it.

            Ash was so lost in his own thoughts and watching Gohan that he didn't pick up on the majority of the conversation.  That is, until Goku got everyone's attention.

            "Hey, Goku, what's the matter?" Krillin asked.  Goku was looking out over the horizon, his face bearing a look of shock.

            "Something's coming," he said.  "Something _really strong!_"

            "Ugh!" Bulma added.  "It better not be Yamcha…."

            It wasn't.  The alien was taller than Goku, and had a shock of long, wild black hair that cascaded down his back to his ankles, looking like a cape.  He was decked out in full Saiyan battle armor, and was wearing a Scouter over his left eye.

            "Who…who are you?" Goku asked.

            "Even though you're all grown up," the stranger started, "I recognize your face anywhere.  It's been a long time…Kakarot!"  He laughed slightly.  "You're the spitting image of your father; did you know that?"

            "What are you talking about?" Krillin asked.

            Krillin was deftly ignored.  "You failed to complete your mission, Kakarot.  Why haven't you exterminated all life on this pitiful little planet?"

            Krillin wasn't about to be ignored a second time, so he approached the strange creature.  "Look, buddy," he started, "we don't know who you are, but _get the hell outta here!_"

            The alien flashed a glance at Krillin one moment and sent him flying into a wall of the Kame House the next.  He hadn't used his arms or his legs to do so.  He instead used…

            …his tail.

            "You…" Goku said in shock.  "You have a tail just how I used to have…"

            "Ha!  Finally starting to sink in, Kakarot?"  
  


            "Stop calling me that!  My name is Goku!"

            "You mean you still don't know?"  His tail snaked around his own waist and stayed in place like a belt.  "How could you forget something as important as your origin…and your mission?  What are you, brain-damaged?"

            Goku's hand went to the back of his head, rubbing around for a scar about three inches long, off to the side, by his left ear.  He was told it was from when he hit his head pretty hard when he was a small child, and considering he had no memory of the incident, took their word for it.

            "Goku," Roshi interrupted.  "It's not as crazy as it sounds."

            Ash listened intently as Roshi retold the story, suddenly forgetting about the hulking menace yards away.  He told the story of how Gohan-sama, Goku's grandfather, found a baby in the woods—a baby with a monkey tail and a wicked disposition.  The baby was uncontrollable until one day he fell in a gorge and hit his head, nearly killing him.  It survived, and grew to become the sweetest little boy he had ever seen.   That baby was Goku.  The story was true.  Goku was from outer space.

            "You don't get it, do you?" the alien continued.  "We are the same, you and I, Kakarot.  We are members of the Saiyan race, the most powerful race that has ever existed!  You and I have more in common than you think, as well.  For I, Raditz, am your older brother, Kakarot!"

            Everyone was dumbfounded.  Raditz continued…

            "We Saiyans are a warrior race who specialize in buying, selling and trading planets on the open market.  Our job is to go from planet to planet, exterminate the denizens, and sell the planet to other races to inhabit and populate—all for mad profit!  Difficult planets call for fully-grown Saiyans like myself to clear out.  But for weaker planets, such as Earth, a baby is more than enough.

            "A Saiyans true powers are revealed at the site of a full moon.  Then, we change into what is known as the Oozaru form, which is roughly 50 meters tall and at least ten times as powerful as a Saiyan in his normal form.  We have our tails to thank for that!  This planet _did _have a moon, and Kakarot would've been able to overrun this miserable rock with ease had he not bumped his head and lost all his memory!"

            Right now, Ash wished he had a notepad to take all this down with.  It was starting to become too much.

            "That reminds me…where is your tail, Kakarot?"

            "It was removed a long time ago," Goku answered.

            Raditz went mad.  "You imbecile!" he shouted.  "You incompetent weakling!  How could you do that to me?  Your _brother!_"

            "_Shut up!  _I've had enough of your nonsense!  My name is Goku, and this is my home, so _get off of our world!_"

            Ash was starting to get angry himself.  He knew this guy in a dream world for no more than a few minutes, and already he didn't like him.  This Raditz had a deathly air around him, the same kind that brings trouble everywhere it goes.  He began to seethe in anger, ready to break Raditz in half at a moment's provocation.

            Raditz' eyebrows furrowed as he noted a movement behind Goku.  "Kakarot…that boy there…" he said, "that wouldn't happen to be your son, would it?"

            "You leave my son out of this, you monster!" Goku shouted as Bulma tried to get Gohan to safety.  "You come any closer, I'll kill you where you stand!"

            Raditz blurred out for a second, and appeared right in front of Goku, slamming his knee into his gut, leveling Ash's future dad.  He didn't just collapse, he skidded almost completely across the island.  As the others rushed to Gohan's aide, Raditz grabbed the now wailing Gohan.

            "Gohan!" Ash shouted.  "Leave him alone, Raditz!"  He managed to sprint at the alien, although when he threw a spinning back kick that would've took his head off, it went right through the target.  Ash growled as he remembered he couldn't lay a hand in his translucent form.  He caught Krillin out of the corner of his eye, trembling over the site of Goku getting taken out with one kick.

            "Listen up, Kakarot!" he said as he held the wailing Gohan by the back of his neck.  "If you want your precious little boy back, then this is what you must do:  I will return your son if you kill one hundred of these pitiful humans by this time tomorrow!"  He turned away, tucking Gohan under his arm like a football and was about to fly off.  "I look forward to tomorrow, Kakarot!"

            Ash watched the scene with a great deal of fear and anger.  His gaze switched in rapid succession from his defeated stepfather to his kidnapped stepbrother.  It didn't occur to him that he was helpless, wandering around in a dream world that was not his.  While he was grateful for all Goku did for him after his mother died and he was left homeless, he felt a stronger attachment to Gohan, who was the same age as him and was something else Ash always wanted—an older brother who he could relate with like he couldn't with his parents.

            "I'll show you, Raditz!" Ash shouted, "flying" off in his direction.  "You better not hurt my brother!  I'll give you what's for!"

            He arrived at a large impact crater a few minutes later, watching Raditz milling around a small space pod at the center of said crater.  Upon closer examination, Gohan was in the pod, crying his scared little heart out.  Ash pressed his face upon the small window, and saw Gohan wailing like a banshee, screaming for his daddy.  "Gohan…" Ash whispered.

            Ash felt a shift in the aura around him.  When he realized what happened, he saw the pod was opened and Gohan was gone.  He jumped up and out of the crater and was shocked at the site of the battlefield in front of him.  Blood was everywhere.  Not just red blood, but some green blood as well.  Gohan was unconscious off to the distance.  Goku had Raditz in a full nelson, beckoning for Piccolo to fire his Special Beam Cannon.  Green blood was scattered about as a result of Piccolo's dismembered arm.

            Piccolo fired the beam.  It flew out of his two fingers, drilled into Raditz, and through Goku in a burst of blood and guts.  They fell to the ground, dead.

            "DAD!  _NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!_" 

* * * * *

            There was a shout of pure, unbridled terror as Ashan sat up in his bed, panting and dripping with cold, panicked sweat.  He looked around the darkened bedroom wildly, panting heavily.  It was the middle of the night, everyone else was asleep.  Pikachu and Jigglypuff had been stirred from their sleep, and looked a their pseudo-master with wide eyes.  Tears were running down his face now, and Gohan knew that they were coming from Ash.

            **Ash? **Gohan asked mentally.  **Ash, are you alright?**  Ashan was crying on the outside, and Ash wasn't answering.  **Dude, calm down.  It was only a bad dream.  I-it's aright…I had one too…**

            _Oh, man, _Ash finally answered.  He couldn't control his crying.  _It was awful.  I…I…_

            **Do you remember it, bro?**

            _You're damn right I remember it!  I saw you getting kidnapped, I saw this huge alien guy named Rad…Rad…Raditz, I think his name was…and he was fighting dad and Piccolo, and Piccolo ended up killing him, but…but…_Ash couldn't continue any further, and started to cry more.  Ashan was seated Indian style in his bed, slumped forward in hysterics, while his right hand reached around and was rubbing his opposite shoulder.

            **Hey, it's alright, it was just a dream.  Wait…  **The sudden realization of just _what _Ash was dreaming about made Gohan sit up straight, and that reflected in Ashan. **That happened to me…when I was about four years old.  Then, when we learned that we were Saiyans.  But…how did YOU experience that?  That didn't happen to you!**

            _I know, I know!  It felt like I there, but wasn't.  Like it was a movie or something…._  Ash paused.  _Why, what did you experience?_

            Gohan paused, not thinking (if he were to do so, Ash would be able to hear it).  He knew Ash had a bad time growing up, but would not talk about it to save his life.  The few extremes in which he did hear about his ordeals, Ash made them sound like horrible, unmerciful affairs—whether that was his intention or not.  Ash almost had to have the words ripped out of his throat, and his retellings left him a broken, heartbroken mass.  And Gohan got a taste of one of those stories firsthand.

            **Well, **Gohan thought, **let me just say this.  I had no idea your father was such a dick.**

            Ashan hung his head, crying softly.  This whole ordeal was starting to take its toll on the young boys imprisoned together.  Somewhere in their subconscious, Gohan was sitting next to his crying brother, his arm around his shoulders, trying to console his heartbroken brother. 

TO BE CONTINUED………__


End file.
